Self-feeder for feed cutters



May 15, 1923. 1,455,402 F. KOLARIK SELF FEEDER FOR FEED CUTTERS FiledDec. 9. 1922 INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

U N I T E D S 'FRANK KOLARIK, or am-rower: COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 1 y

v SELF-FEEDER FOR FEED ClJ'TTERS.

Application filed December .9, 1922 Serial No. 605,877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I FRANK KOLARIK a citizen of the United States, andresidentof the county of Manitowoc and State of -Wisconsin, haveinvented new and useful I'mprovements in Self-Feeders for Feed Cutters,of which the following is a description reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to autoi'natic feeding mechanisms for feedcutters, and has for one of its objects to provide a simple andefiicient device adapted to feed corn, cotton, or other stalks to acutting mechanism, whereby they may: be cut into suitable lengths forstock feed. 1 1

Feed cutting devices of this character usually comprise a rotatablecutter having associated with it a pair of feeding rolls which areadapted to pass the material. be tween them to the said cutter, to theend that the said material may be positively fed. However, it isnecessary in such devices that the material be inserted between the saidfeeding rolls and as this necessarily requires manual labor it is verydesirable to provide a mechanism which will automatically feed thestalks to the said rolls It is therefore an important object of thepresent inven-. 'tion to provide a mechanismwhlch Wlll automatically andpositively present the corn, cotton or other stalks to the feedingrolls,

whereby they may be merelydeposited in a' trough or receptacle in anyshape, where upon the machine will automatically feed them to thecuttinpmechanism.

A further object of the inventionis to provide an automatic feedingmechanism which Wlll be simple 1n construction, co1nparativelyinexpensive to manufacture, and which may be readily attached either tomachines which are already in use or to new machines.

'VVith the above and other objects in View,

which will appear as the description proceeds. the inventionconsists inthe novel detalls of construction and combinations of parts more fullyhereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals designatelike parts in all the views Figure 1 is a plan view of a mechanism madein accordance with the present invention, showingfthe same attached to arotary.

feed cutting machine; Fig. 2 is a central vertical taken approximatelyon the plane indicated by the line 2- 2.01 Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows; and,

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view,

taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the said drawings the numeral 5 indi cates generallyany suitable feedcutting ma- I chine which may be provided with a rotatable cutter memberor druin- 6, provided sectional view,

with a plurality of cutting knives 7, suitably" arranged around itsperiphery; A pair of rotatable feed rolls. 8 is provided in close.proximity to the cutting roll 6, and these said rolls are adapted topass the corn,cotton or other stalks between them tothecutting blades 7of the said roll 6, whereby they The feeding V attachment comprisingpresent invention consists of a trough or shown in Fig. 1, and uponwhich are: mounted "suitable, bearings 11 and 12; in which arejournalledrespectively the crank receptacle 9, provided with the walls 1 0,-,which preferably converge substantially as members, 13 and-14. Thesaid. crank 1nem-' passes a .beltor other drive mechanism 16; which alsopasses around "a pulley 17, carried by a shaft 18,: upon which thecutter roll 6 is mounted. A; suitable belt tightener belt 16.

witha sprocket wheel 20 which isengaged by a sprocket chain 21, whichlatter also passes around a sprocket wheel 22,' carried by the crankshaft 13, whereby the two; crank shafts, 1.3 and 14, maybe driven inunison ber l i carries aipulley 15. around 'wh'ich The crank portionsofthe shafts, 13 and i 11 carry a plurality'of longitudinallyex-Itendingridge bars 23 which may cdnverge substantiallyas shown 'in'lywhich b'a'rs are provided with suitable straps or bear- 241- and 25,for engagement with the said crank shafts, 13 and 14. Thesaid bars 23are maintained in suitablespaced" relation by means of transversespacing members 26, and the said bars are each provided with a pluralityof downwardly ;ext ending inc-lined v teeth or spikes"27, which areadapted to engage and feed the stalks forardly, as will present-1yappear.

o The shaft 18' of the feed cutt ng machine proper is'provided"-with.adrive pulley whereby power maybe applied thereto from "lows.

said rolls may be posi deviceuvill be cle'ar from the foregoing, but itmaybe briefly summarized as fol- The corn, cotton or other stalks beingdeposited in'the receptacle or trough 9 in any-inannerfand the machinebeing set in operation, the crank menibers, 13 andl l,

-Will be rotated in a clockwise direction,

thereby carrying theridge bars 23 around with a substantially circularmotionfl T he "spikes or :teeth27, carried by the said'bars ,7 p

i 'l Vhatisclainiedis: -niillvfeed'the same toward. the left as seen" 1!In afeeding mechanisnigo't the class -lI1-'Flg. 2,'therebybrin;ging theends of the Will-engage the stalks in thetrough 9 and "said stalks intoengagement with the sur-' facesof the feed rolls 8, which will grasp-th'eni and'feed them forward to the cutting l'Oll/G, where/theywillbewseyered in suitable lengths for stock-feed.- Asa-the motion- I rof thecra-nks, 13 and 14 is continuedi the Zridge bars 23 Will belifted, thus disengaging the spikesor teeth 27, and they vill" zithen bereturned to the. right, as seen in .Fig; 2', and broui c ht downwardlyto again engage-*the stalls. The operation .will be i bers 12 aresomewhat higher than the beari continued, of fiooulse, a l gaas q vsuppliedjto-the pulley 30, and the stalks fing -menibers 11 and sincethe crank members, 13 and-14% have substantially thesame throw, itresults that "the ridge'bars 23 are is oinewhat inclined, as "clearlyindicated in Fig. 2,-so that their left or discharge end is-lof vcrthantheir right or intake end. It, "thus resultsthat the stalks Will bepositively engaged and fed forwardlyregardless of I how 'llttle stalkmaterial in the trough or receptacle 9.

5 It Will be noted that-the side alls lll of the'rce'iving trough 9converge, and that :the ridge bars'Qi-l' are so spaced asto extendsubstantially theYfull width otjthe said trough. -.The said bars arefurthermore all niounted in substantially the same horizontal plane, sothat'when actuated in con- -juncjtien iwith'tlie trough havingthe conandreturn to'their initialpositions.

eiging side. \valls, they serve f'to eliicie ntly 'coi'npress allmaterial wh ch maybe Within the trough during their forwardoperation.

It thus results that Whilesuchinaterial is fed to the feed rolls 8uniformly throughout; their Widtlrthe maximum efficiency of the cuttersor knives 7 is obtained. by

It Wlll be thus seentthat this invention provides a slniple andelfectlveaineans-for automatically feeding the cotton, corn, or

other stalks to a feed cuttingmechanism,

and that the said feeding device maybe readily and etli'cientlyappliedvto either 'the freed cutting machines which are already-m1 us-1e 'ortonew machines. v

While one form ofthe invention hasbeen panying claims.

described; a, receptacle. havingconverging side Walls "for receiving the'niaterial tobe" 'i'ted; pair of crank ine'inbers rotatably monntedionthe-" alls of said receptacle oneot said crank members belngrhsposed higlr,

er than the otherya plurality ofjcionverging rir bars allinsubstantiallyithe sanie hoi-ivz'ontal planerarried' bysaid crank; niem-wt ,bers, said bars being lnchned relatiye to the] bottom ofisaidreceptacle;.angularly dispose'd pins carried'by said ridgei bars,forengagingthe n aterial to be fed-;aand means rotating said crankmembers ,inunisoii. 2. The combination with s iced cutt i machine havinga cutting member ant pair of coaetinr: feeding rolls} o'f n e'ai .5

positively feeding material to said rolls,

Walls: adaptedto receive the material be reniprisinga trough havingconvergingside llO spaced to extend substantially the j'liullwidth oiisaid-trough. and all in substantially the same horizontal plane carriedby said crank :led' with zi' igularly 'dis I members, and p'roi' posedpnisfor can sing the material to be lied; and means or rotating: said,

member, said feed rollsi' and vsaid crank ineinbers simultaneously;Wherebythe i 'latter members maycause said bars andpi'nssto engagefandteed'said material torwa-rd'to said rolls, and to thendisengagethei'nseltcs i In testimony whereof; I "affix iny si ture. i I

